Darkness and the Devil Behind Me

The Lanie Price Mystery Novels #1

by Persia Walker

In December 1923, Esther Todd was a lovely young pianist, a rising star. One month later, she was on the Most Wanted List. She had vanished along the snowy streets of a stormy night in Harlem and thieves had hit the home of her society patron, pulling off a million- dollar heist. Were the disappearance and the robbery coincidence or conspiracy? Somebody knew, but nobody was talking. Three years later, the puzzles remained unsolved. As a crime reporter, Lanie Price covered the initial case. Now a frustrated society columnist, she's ready for a change. It comes in the form of Esther's sister, Ruth. Desperate for closure, Ruth begs Lanie to dedicate her Christmas column to the case. Maybe someone, somewhere will remember something. Seeking fresh material, Lanie starts asking hard questions, dangerous questions, the kind just about guaranteed to get her killed.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Fiction, African American, Crime, Mystery Thriller

330 pages, Paperback

First published October 3, 2007

About the author

Readers of Persia's 1920s novels know they're in for a fast-paced trip through one of the most fascinating periods in U.S. history, the Jazz Age. In designing her stories, and developing her characters, Persia draws upon her theatrical training as well as her journalistic experience.

She has worked for The Associated Press and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She has lived in Germany, Brazil and Poland.

Reviews

[Terri Christie]

I won this book on CD during a Goodreads give away.

This 1920's murder mystery takes place in New York city in Harlem during winter, when a young African American musically talented single mother goes missing and the police refuse to investigate her disappearance until it is linked to a jewel heist at her two-timed widowed beinfactor's home. The reporter who covered the case is approached by the woman's sister and has renewed her vigar to uncover the truth years later after the trail has grown cold. Laney Price discovers more in a few days than the police had in the previous years, she gets too close for comfort and endangers herself. As the story progresses you get an original insight into the life of a Black woman in the 1920's in a male driven world.

I did have issues with the original version of this book that I received, half the Cd's were either blank or damaged, but when I addressed the issue I received a MP3 version within hours and was very glad to have a full copy because missing out on the piece of the story was quite disappointing.

The packaging itself is very retro and the Cd\s are made to look like vinyl records which is original and down right cool!

And finally but not least the narration of this story is great, Marti Dumas' voice conveys such emotion and helps the listener to see the author's vision. Her silken voice suits the story so well!

Thank you for the great listen!

[Revae]

Darkness and the Devil Behind Me is a good read if you like mystery books. Persia Walker weaves an intricate tale of scandal and murder. When I think I have it figured out, another element is thrown in the mix that negates my theory. Like most mystery books, it starts slow in the beginning, but it picks up to become an exciting story. I definitely recommend it.

[Lillie]

This was especially interesting because it introduced me to a world I knew nothing about, Harlem in the 1920s. The story was also an intriguing mystery.

[stacia]

I just finished it, on the heels of having read and loved one of Walker's previous releases, Harlem Redux. It wasn't nearly as good. It actually read a bit like an unedited first or second draft--and I think it had a lot of promise but the imagery and characters were difficult to latch onto in spots that really mattered and the wild goose chases down which I was lead in pursuit of the killer(s) seemed more arbitrary than integral.

That said, I'd still like to see more work from Walker--particular set in 1920s Harlem, an era for which she has an amazing grasp.

[Adrienna]

IT took awhile for me to really get into the story. I read author's other book entitled "Black Orchid" and absolutely loved it. I could not put it down. Therefore, I wanted to read any other books she has written, and finally was able to order a copy of this novel. Yet, once I made it to the ending, "whodunit" you would not even consider or imagine. The author made me speak to the book by then!!!

Leisure read 2017

[Keesha]

Even though I had it for a couple of days without reading much of it, once I got into it towards the middle I could not put it down. I loved the old gumshoe-type drama as told from an African American female reporter. I was also pleasantly surprised by the ending. I will certainly be looking for more from this author.

[Richard]

Enjoyed this very much. I liked the protagonist/narrator (Lanie) as well as the 1920s Harlem setting. The mystery kept me guessing, for sure. I also have another one in the series that I'll probably take up soon.

[RC Prentice]

Beth, employed by Mrs. Goodfellowe, has food poisoning. Esther, another Goodfellowe employee drives Beth to hospital in Mrs. Goodfellowe’s car. Beth’s sister Ruth arrives at hospital. After several hours, Beth is released. When Esther goes to retrieve the car from the parking spot to pick Beth up, Ruth goes outside to await its arrival. But the car does not stop in front of the hospital. Instead, it plows through the snow, right past it. Is it Esther driving? And is there someone in the back seat? Is the look on Esther’s face one of fear? Was she being kidnapped? Esther is never seen again. Four days later gunmen make off with $1 million in jewelry during a gala auction at Mrs. Goodfellowe’s meant to benefit a charity for women. There are several fatal casualties. Three years later, Ruth asks Lanie to investigate. A misplaced earring convinces Lanie that there is reason to do so. But there is also the $1 million auction heist to investigate. Could the two events possibly be connected? Lanie decides she will indeed investigate both events. Lanie discovers that Esther was having an affair with a powerful politician, Sexton Whitfield. Even more reason to pursue the quest emerges when powerful interests urge her to not rock the boat, and when she is warned off by person or persons unknown in a violent manner. The two policemen who initiated the investigation of the heist have tried to keep the case open but are stymied. One is killed in a shoot-out with a prisoner being transported to the Tombs; the other retires shortly thereafter. It seems that when Lanie discovers the abandonment of this cold case, she is at a dead end. Then, Lanie discovers that Mrs. Goodfellowe had been married for only a year when the heist occurred, to a man much younger than herself. Ten months later her young husband is discovered in the very same Packard that would be used to drive Beth to hospital, dead, his face completely blown away. The assailant, said to be a boyhood friend of the husband, vanishes. Could it have anything to do with Esther's fate two months later? Or with Esther's affair with Whitfield? Was there a connection between Whitfield and Goodfellowe’s husband? How could there be? Each revelation raises new questions for the investigative reporter, and for readers.

[Vivienne Neal]

An Excellent Crime Novel with a Bombshell Ending

What a fantastic, adrenaline-pumping plot, with unforgettable characters, a great exchange of ideas, and vivid settings. Lanie Price, a self-assured, courageous truth seeker, and a compassionate 1920s reporter digs into an incident regarding a woman who disappeared in 1923. The narrative exposes secrets and lies, threats, an indifferent and shoddy police department, deceit, betrayal, narrow-mindedness, the abuse of wealth, power and influence, misogyny, and non-stop drama. This page-turning piece, which throws curveballs in every direction, will keep you on the edge of your seat with an ending that will shock you to the core. Although the story is fiction, the issues covered are relevant today when it comes to the lack of concern by some law enforcement agencies and the mainstream media when women of color disappear, while hidden bigotry rears its ugly head, reminding us: Not everyone who laughs and grins in your face or supports your causes is your friend or means you well.

[Nancy Houlihan]

Excellent story with plenty of twists. Really captures the feel of Harlem in the 1920s, or at least I think it does. The setting is the star, and the heroine has plenty of spunk. The book could have done with more proofreading. There are a number of misspellings, missing words, and problems with word order. The characters were sometimes a little difficult to keep straight. But bottom line, this was an enjoyable read. This book may have been revised and republished under the name Goodfellowe House.

[Diane Collins]

I really liked this book, filled with mystery and scandal during the 1920's in Harlem. I look forward to reading another novel from this author!

[Jackie]

Read under title Goodfellowe House. It is very good and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Mailmanr5]

Very good police procedural with not much help from the police. It's probably a little long but it's a good story. Very good characters and dialogue. I like the time period and location.

[Linda Strickland]

Enjoyed the historic story!!

[Kate Wells]

engrossing mystery, taut and well written.

[Chris Doyle]

Top notch mystery!

What a great read! Lanie Price belongs right up there besides the likes of Mrs Marple, Hercule Poirot and Jessica Fletcher (okay she's a TV character but you get my point). Great pacing; believable dialogue and a winding but believable plot. Bravo!

[Graculus]

Picked this one up as an ebook off the author's website, iirc, and it was one that I was probably bound to latch onto, given my love of historical detective stories.

This book is set in the Harlem of the 1920's, with our hero being Lainie Walker, journalist for a black-read newspaper where she's been concentrating on writing a society column ever since the death of her husband. A couple of years earlier, Lainie had been involved in covering the mysterious disappearance of Esther Todd, prior to the house of her wealthy benefactor being robbed, and had been one of the few people who had been convinced Esther had nothing to do with it.

Now she's approached by Esther's family again and urged to resume her championing of Esther's innocence; Lainie reluctantly agrees to do so, only to find herself in increasing danger, between the machinations of local politicians and a corrupt police force who are not particularly interested in anything that might happen to one of the city's black population.

It's clear that Walker has done her research and the background details of 1920's Harlem ring true all the way through the book. Unfortunately, the character of Lainie, while supposedly sympathetic because of her experiences, starts to chafe as we head towards the latter parts of the book. She exhibits all the worst traits of the hero, ignoring sensible advice and putting herself in unnecessary jeopardy, which sadly still didn't lead me to care too much about whether she was in peril. I believe the author has a further book in this series in the works, but I can't say I'll be rushing to look for it.

[Elizabeth Webber]

I received this audiobook through a Goodreads giveaway. I went through phases of interest and disinterest while listening. The premise and setting were great, but I still had a hard time staying engaged. I don't know that I can quite articulate what it was, but it felt like I could predict the next line throughout the book, but not necessarily the next chapter. I also could not quite believe in the 1920's setting. The lingo seemed to be randomly inserted rather then a common thread throughout and the cadence felt unnatural and distracting. It seems odd because I can't quite pin one thing, but the audiobook rubbed me the wrong way, even though it really wasn't a bad story. Maybe reading on paper would be a different experience. I don't know what to think. I'm glad I experienced the story and plot overall, but was not a big fan of the specifics.

[Kina M]

ok

This author has a great writing technique and very little editing issues in her work,which is delightful compared to some other works i have read recently.
With that being said I'm not gone lie. I wanted to stop reading this book so many times.It felt like it was going nowhere,but once the case started coming together I couldn't put it down. Unfortunately that happened in the last 30-40 mins of the book. I did like the story line, but it was just the same as the last book i read by this author, just different characters. I don't know if this is just how all her work is going to be or will there be something different in her next book.
All in all it was okay. Glad I'm done now, it took too long to finish.

[Dina_s]

Speakeasies, Harlem jazz clubs, gangsters, molls, wealthy dillettantes, this story has it all.
For me, this book first of all presented an interesting historical insight into the lives of black people in no doubt a difficult, racist era.
The mystery had enough twists and turns to keep one engaged, however whodunnit was quite obvious from the start.
Lanie was an ok protaganist with her own struggles and strife. Ultimately she proves herself to be naive and reckless, blundering into the investigation without thinking through the consequences and endangering the lives of others along the way.

[Les]

A self-published first effort with a few noticeable typos, yet a page-turner nonetheless and a new author I'll be following for my own entertainment - in other words, a good find. Will be happy to lead this book club discussion.

[Ellen]

A very interesting historical crime novel. It is very evocative, without extravagant detail.

[jules revel]

Great mystery set in 1920s Harlem. Riveting plot and interesting characters.

[Priscilla]

I found a new mystery writer :-)